Dolichopteridae is an extinct family of

eurypterid Eurypterids, often informally called sea scorpions, are a group of extinct arthropods that form the Order (biology), order Eurypterida. The earliest known eurypterids date to the Darriwilian stage of the Ordovician period 467.3 Myr, million yea ...

s that lived in the

Silurian The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 24.6 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the shortest period of the Paleozo ...

and

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...

periods.

Description

Dolichopterid eurypterids had outer surfaces that were either smooth or with pustules and semilunar scales. The compound eyes were arcuate and located anteriorly on the prosoma (head). The abdomens had epimers (lateral projections). The telson (the posteriormost division of the body) was lanceolate. The chelicerae were small, and the first three pairs of walking legs were stout, with powerful spines. The last pair of walking legs had supplementary lobes, while the swimming legs had the last joint enlarged, as part of the paddle. The male genital appendage was long. 1955. Merostomata. ''Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata'', P39.

References

Eurypteroidea Prehistoric arthropod families Devonian arthropods Silurian arthropods Silurian first appearances Devonian extinctions {{eurypterid-stub

Description

See also

References